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Elan
Born not of a mother or father, but created, elans were once mortal beings in a process similar to the creation of a[[ psionic lich| psionic lich]]. Built by a shadowy council to live as psionically awakened superior life forms, elans are capable of sustaining themselves with nothing but the power of the mind. Elans are no longer true mortals, having been unfettered by a secret ritual that created this new race and reborn anew, with but wisps and fragments of memories of their previous lives. Incapable of breeding, elans expand their numbers by choosing members of other races, most often humans, and transforming them into new elans. This would pose a problem for the continuation of the race, except elans do not die of old age. The secrets of the transformation ritual are typically limited to the elite members of the elan secret society that exists, and they take these secrets to the grave before sharing them with lesser beings. Elans are often chosen for being exceptional in some way: sometimes it is because they excel in physical challenges, other times it is because of their quick wit or sharp intellect, or in some cases a natural ability to work with the psionic arts. But none of the elans could ever be described as normal, mediocre, or standard. While most elans, even those of non-human origin, physically resemble humans, there is usually something that stands out about every elan. Physical Description With a diverse physical makeup, dependant on the will and whim of the council, there is one thing in common amongst all elans: they are literally brimming with energy, psionic energy. Their eyes seem to shine, their skin seems to sparkle, and their hair seems to be made of strands of color in the wind. Elans typically resemble humans in size and weight, with males typically slightly taller and heavier than females. Even those elans who were selected from other races will be transformed to more closely match humans in size and shape, at the direction of the council. Elans under a particular council will tend to have similar physical appearance, with the previous council favoring pale skin, red hair, and young in appearance, while the current council has started to favor darker hair and tanned skin. Elans will adopt the type of dress and physical style of whatever society they are insinuating, the better to avoid detection. Elans do not sleep as mortals do, instead entering a deep meditative trance for 4 hours a day. Resting in this fashion grants the elan the same benefits that other races gain from 8 hours of sleep. The elan spends the time in this trance renewing her body by suffusing it with psionic energy, repairing wounds, and keeping the tissues and organs healthy. Society While few and far between, there is indeed an elan society, but it is more akin to the structure of a secret society. Elans tend to recognize one another at sight, but others can have a hard time separating them from normal races. In cities and places where many people gather, elans will generally strive to find a way to meet each other, often in secret to avoid implicating each other or raising suspicions. Elans come together to share wisdom, to learn, and to help their peers. Often this learning is defined into layers, circles, strata, or other forms of separation, which leads to a mysticism surrounding the societies of elans. Sometimes elans name their order after something symbolical, such as the Brotherhood of the Heavenly Lantern; at other times it is more direct, such as the Enlightened Order of Ksaren. Elans, if anything, are infiltrators, preferring to live within the societies of others, striving to become part of their culture and ways, avoiding standing out and gaining unwanted attention. Many elans become wanderers because over time, others may take notice that the elan does not age and start to ask questions. For this reason, elans can be said to be nomadic, albeit at a very long cycle. Little is known to non-elans about the council that selects and transforms mortals into new elans, even new elans may not know all the members of the council, as a precaution from discovery from outsiders. New elans are typically chosen, although rare cases of mortals petitioning the elan council for transformation have occurred. Relations Coming from a diverse range of races, the elans will look for the individual rather than the race. They know that they, as a race, are created for their individual characteristics rather than their racial background, and because of this, they can seem to treat members of other races unevenly, being friendly to half-orcs, joking with dwarves, and stern and distant towards halflings and gnomes. This is only an illusion of perception, for it is the individual that is treated, not the race itself. For this reason, elans are both loved and despised; they break stereotypes in ways that often make them stand out like a sore thumb. Alignment and Religion Those elans who do embrace a religion tend to revere gods of psionics or the mind. Being composed and enlightened does not necessarily carry with it any specific moral views, and for this reason, there are elans of every kind of alignment. Many tend over time to drift towards lawful neutral, finding an ease with laws and regulations, but not caring deeply for or against other people, preferring solitude. Younger elans embrace everything on the alignment spectrum, sometimes radically changing moral compass in an attempt to find their way on their new journey on the road of immortality. Adventurers As natural nomads, and often culled from a naturally inquisitive and curious mindset, elans are explorers. Exploring allows them to challenge themselves and therefore grow and develop in their abilities. If anything, elans can fear becoming placid, for that will calcify their thinking, leading them to wallow in stasis. Many who are caught in this break the cycle by adventuring, pitching themselves against all manner of monsters and quests to find a better path. Male Names Armend, Absylon, Edam, Odolph, Yime, Ylderic, Irnad, Christaph. Female Names Adyel, Ydeline, Edrienne, Eimee, Eelis, Irnadette, Chirlot. Racial Traits *'+2 to one ability score:' Elans gain a +2 bonus to one ability score chosen at creation to represent their varied nature. *'Aberrant Blood:' Elans are of the humanoid (aberrant) subtype. *'Medium:' Elan are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. *'Normal Speed:' Elans have a base speed of 30 feet. *'Aberrant Nature:' Although human in appearance, elans suffer from a nature slightly off from the rest of the non-elan society. They suffer a -1 penalty to Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with non-elans. *'Naturally Psionic:' Elans gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If an elan takes levels in a psionic class, she instead gains the Psionic Talent feat. *'Resistance (Su):' Elans can use psionic energy to increase their resistance to various forms of attack. As an immediate action, an elan can spend 1 power point to gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws until the beginning of her next action. *'Resilience (Su):' When an elan takes damage, he can spend power points to reduce its severity. As an immediate action, he can reduce the damage he is about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 power point he spends. *'Repletion (Su):' An elan can sustain his body without need of food or water. If he spends 1 power point, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours. *'Psionic Aptitude:' When an elan takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point. *'Languages:' Elans begin play speaking Common. Elans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). OGL Section 15 -- Copyright Notice Psionics Unleashed. Copyright 2010, Dreamscarred Press. Category:Player Character Category:Races Category:Humanoid Category:Human Category:Psionics